Working with contaminated soil in Venice

Coiling vases from the local earthenware and painting the vases with the local earth in Earth Laboratory, Venice, August 2019. Photo: Catharina Kajander

Climate change has raised general awareness of the impact of human activity on the environment. Ecological degradation induced by anthropogenic factors such as microplastics, contamination of the soil or the successive disappearance of pollinating insects have become major sources of concern.

As ceramists traditionally work with local earth, the research was situated in the local environment of the Biennale, the Venice lagoon area. The principal places of interest were the artificial canals of the historical centre, Porto Marghera’s industrial area and the Murano Islands. During the process, local soil was gathered and then analysed for anthropogenic contaminants.

Local brick clay was used to create large ceramic forms, and finally, the analysed, contaminated soil was used to paint the ceramic vessels. The focus was not in making a comparative study of clean and contaminated soil as a ceramic material per se, but rather to investigate how craft practice may reveal embodied relations of the human and material environments. In this project, craft making is understood as a philosophical space to consider ethical and ecological concerns related to the environment. The research is conducted by artist-researchers from Empirica research group of the Department of Design in collaboration with the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE.

Detail from the exhibition set up at the Research Pavilion. Image: Tzuyu Chen

Traces from the Anthropocene. Working with Soil is a multidisciplinary research project that addresses the ecological consequences of the human footprint through ceramic art. The project took place before and during the Venice Biennale 2019, the world’s best-known contemporary art event held since 1895.

Working with Soil is shortlisted for The First International Whitegold Ceramic Prize that seeks culturally and environmentally aware and socially engaged art projects. Ten exceptional proposals were shortlisted out of more than a hundred submissions.